By and large, Clipperblog detests awards. To quote Woody Allen, "Awards! All they do is give out awards! Greatest Fascist Dictator: Adolf Hitler!"

So in the spirit of Woody Allen, Clipperblog figured it was high time to hand out one of its own: The All-Glue Team.

Hubie Brown, whose understanding of professional basketball is unparalleled among television analysts (if you haven't recently, make some effort next time you're watching a Sunday afternoon ABC telecast to listen to Hubie break down a play; if you've got tivo or a DVR and are an ubergeek like me, use it to go frame-by-frame), often speaks of "glue guys."

Come July and we have time to break down the Clippers' offseason goals and how they might reach the next echelon, we'll spend plenty of time talking about what comprises a championship roster. But to give you my simple theory in ten words or less:

Three scorers of diverse talents, a shut-down defender, a sparkplug off the bench, and four glue guys.

That's, like, eighteen words? My bad.

I realize that still doesn't answer the question, "what is a glue guy?" For that, I refer you to United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart who, when asked his definition of pornography, replied, "I know it when I see it."

Of course, Steve Nash is the ultimate glue guy - this year's Phoenix team being his finest mosaic yet. Who else could've brought Marion, Diaw (at C), Thomas (first Kurt, then Tim), Raja Bell and James Jones together to contend - no matter what the outcome of this series against the Lakers may bear out? Tim Duncan, too. But it seems silly to call MVPs "glue guys." Isn't that what makes the ‘P' MV?

All of the players above fall into the "wily veteran" category (I guess Battier is still a youngin', but he's a born veteran). The team below - The Glue Sticks - is composed of younger guys who are emerging as significant role players or players with a quick learning curve for the pro game's nuances.

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Question: Its been rumored that in the offseason, the Clips will trade Maggette to a team with cap space (possibly for picks?!), in order to re-sign Cassel and Vlad.

Now, if you had to pick any two of those three players to sign, wouldn't the obvious choices be Corey and Vlad? Sam won't settle for less than a two year deal, and he's already slowed to the point that he can't play D. It remains to be seen if he has even one full season left in him, much less two.

Also, at the end of his two year contract we'd have nothing to show for it. Two years into Corey's contract, he'd either still be an asset that we can continue to use, or a tradable commodity.

I don't think it's a question of which two (Cassell, Corey, Vlad), I think the bigger concern for Elgin is clearing enough space to match the Boffo offer someone is gonna throw at Kaman next July -- and Shaun the July after that.

And by unloading Maggette -- who has 3 yrs/$25M left and doesn't have a starting position on the team -- we clear the most space.

I say the Clips need to do everything possible to keep everyone on this roster as is. Baylor will have a lot of work to do this summer.

And now, to lambaste or not to lambaste

I think the All-Glue squad could be divided up into the All-D, Old-Veterans, and “misc” categories.

For Example:
“I only play the last 5 minutes of playoff games"
#1 - Horry

"My wife is crazy"
#1 - Christie
#2 - Kidd
#3 - Vanessa...?

"Monster Season in Contract Year"
#1 - Dampier
#2 - Wells???

"My-Skull has crazy lines Squad"
#1 - Battier

Come on Team Clipperblog, lets get a poll going.
By the way, if the Clips “supposedly” tanked a few games to seed better in the playoffs, the Lakers must be tanking these games to avoid being embarrassed in Rd 2 by the Clips.

I have to agree with MUSkip...Anschultz Entertainment Group will pretty much go to any length to make sure they hold up their end of the bargain for Kansas City, and I see that coming in the form of some really sweet deal to move to KC.

04/12/08 02:11:48

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